The present invention relates to a connector for establishing connections, and transporting signals between two external devices having contact pads on two surfaces in a non-parallel relationship with respect to each other.
In related art it has been suggested that during integrated circuit fabrication and manufacturing, functional modules (i.e. processing modules, memory modules, I/O modules, etc.) can be connected to substrates, such as silicon wafers, printed circuit boards and multi-chip modules in a vertical position. Thus, the contact pads on the functional modules are positioned in a non-parallel relationship with respect to contact pads located on the surface of the substrate.
A difficulty that has arisen with positioning functional modules on substrates relates to interconnecting the contact pads of the functional modules with the contact pads on the substrate. Specifically, the difficulty arises in connecting the contact pads of the functional modules that are disposed in a non-parallel relationship with the contact pads on the surface of t-he substrate.
A more general problem relates to connecting the contact pads of a functional module with the contact pads on the surface of a substrate when the contact pads on the functional module have a different inter-contact-pad spacing than the contact pads on the substrate. This applies to any two functional modules that are mismatched in their inter-contact-pad spacing.
Consequently, there is a need in the industry for an improved connector that overcomes at least in part some of the above deficiencies.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a connector for transporting signals. The connector comprises a continuous body of material that has a three-dimensional shape characterized by three reference axes, wherein the continuous body is continuous along each one of the reference axes. The continuous body includes a first terminal end and a second terminal end that define two, not necessarily flat, non-parallel surfaces. Optionally, the first terminal end and the second terminal end may also define respective parallel surfaces. The connector further includes a three-dimensional arrangement of signal transmissive pathways within the continuous body. The signal transmissive pathways are spaced from one another and extend along a direction of propagation of the connector from the first terminal end to the second terminal end. The signal transmissive pathways are exposed at the first terminal end and at the second terminal end to allow external devices that are connected at the first terminal end and at the second terminal end to exchange signals via the signal transmissive pathways. The signal transmissive pathways are distributed in the continuous body in multiple directions transverse to the direction of propagation.
In a specific example of implementation, the connector of the present invention is made of a continuous body of dielectric material that is formed by such processes as molding the body of continuous material around a plurality of signal transmissive pathways. The signal transmissive pathways can be electrically conductive pathways that are capable of transporting electrical signals between the first terminal end and the second terminal end. Alternatively, the signal transmissive pathways can be optical fibers for transmitting optical signals between the first terminal end and the second terminal end.
The term xe2x80x9ccontinuousxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to a single body of material that is uninterrupted and unbroken. In other words, the continuous body does not include any seams.
As further embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a connector for transporting signals. The connector typically comprises a body having a plurality of superposed layers of material defining a three-dimensional shape. The body includes a first terminal end and a second terminal end remote from first terminal end that define two, not necessarily flat, non-parallel surfaces. Optionally, the first terminal end and the second terminal end may define respective parallel surfaces. The connector further comprises a three-dimensional arrangement of signal transmissive pathways within the body. The signal transmissive pathways are spaced from one another and extend along a direction of propagation from the first terminal end to the second terminal end. The signal transmissive pathways are exposed at the first terminal end and at the second terminal end to allow external devices connected at the first terminal end and at the second terminal end to exchange signals via the signal transmissive pathways. The signal transmissive pathways are distributed in the body of material in multiple directions transverse to the direction of propagation.
In a specific example of implementation, the connector of the present invention is made of a body of dielectric material and the signal transmissive pathways can be electrically conductive pathways that are capable of transporting electrical signals between the first terminal end and the second terminal end of the connector. Alternatively, the connector of the present invention is made of a body of material that is capable of receiving signal transmissive pathways that are made of optical fibers for transmitting optical signals between the first terminal end and the second terminal end of the connector.
In a specific example of implementation, the signal transmissive pathways extend in a substantially side by side relationship along the direction of propagation from the first terminal end to the second terminal end. In another specific example of implementation, the signal transmissive pathways do not extend in a continuous side by side relationship from the first terminal end to the second terminal end. Instead, the signal transmissive pathways extend in a side by side relationship for only a partial distance from the first terminal end to the second terminal end. As such, the connector may provide a re-mapping function such that the position of one or more signal transmissive pathways at the first terminal end in relation to other signal transmissive pathways within that terminal end have a different position in relation to the other signal transmissive pathways at the other terminal end. This is achieved by the position of the signal transmissive pathways within the distribution of signal transmissive pathways changing routing within the body of the connector in order to form a re-mapping layer.
In a specific example of implementation, the body is a single sheet of material that is formed into a roll having a plurality of coils that form superposed layers. In a second example of implementation the body is a single sheet of material that includes a plurality of folds that form the superposed layers and in another example of implementation the body is a plurality of individual superposed discrete layers.
An advantage of the connector of the present invention is that it is able to establish a connection between two surfaces that are positioned in a non-parallel arrangement with respect to each other. This connection is formed by cutting or fabricating the terminal ends of the connector into planes that mate with the respective surfaces to be connected, such as discrete functional modules and wafers.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.